“In North Park, we have a lot of great stuff coming in, and there’s room for more,” Gordon said. “Quality establishments will survive because people will go to them. It’s a combination of style and quality that we still have a lot of room for, and there are few people in town doing both well.”

Despite the latest encouraging signs of a healthier restaurant scene, San Diego hasn’t exactly seen a constant upward trajectory in its inventory of independent venues. Just last spring, the county experienced a 2 percent decline in its independents, just a year after shooting up by 3 percent, according to NPD.

Terryl Gavre, who recently opened her small, 65-seat Acme Southern Kitchen in downtown’s East Village, is preparing to open an equally small bakery cafe just around the corner, stocking it with comfort desserts like lemon bars, brownies and morning buns. She also owns Cafe 222 and has partnered with Chef Carl Schroeder on Bankers Hill Bar & Restaurant and Market.

“People are supporting indies because food in general is so trendy right now,” she said. “The younger people are getting interested in food at a much younger age and they don’t want to go to a chain restaurant. And I do think people are eating in their neighborhoods, and chains don’t open in neighborhoods.”

That said, Gavre said she takes care to seek out locations that are a little more remote from the trendier, more well-established neighborhoods so she doesn’t overpay on rent. She also doesn’t spend too freely on the building improvements.

“I usually hope to pay off the investment within two to four years,” she said. “Every time you open a restaurant it’s like starting over, I don’t care who you are.”